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A Los Angeles jury in a landmark decision has found Meta (Facebook) and YouTube liable for harming a young woman through their social media platforms’ addictive design, ordering both companies to pay $3 million in damages, a ruling that could pave the way for more significant punitive awards in the future.
The plaintiff, a young woman identified as Kaley, filed the lawsuit claiming that social media platforms’ features, designed to encourage constant engagement, negatively impacted her mental health.
The jury concluded that both Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design and operation of their platforms, and their negligence substantially contributed to the harm suffered by Kaley.
The companies were also found to have failed to warn users about the dangers their platforms posed to minors, with jurors stating that both Meta and YouTube should have known the risks involved.
In the trial, plaintiff attorneys argued that social media features like infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, notifications, and like counts were deliberately engineered to foster compulsive use among young people.
“Accountability has arrived,” said the plaintiff’s legal team, celebrating the verdict as a victory for those fighting for social media regulation and mental health awareness.
The panel allocated 70% of the responsibility to Meta, amounting to $2.1 million in damages, while YouTube was held 30% responsible, receiving a $900,000 share. The ruling comes amid a series of similar lawsuits, with two more bellwether trials expected to follow. These cases could determine whether social media giants like Meta and YouTube will face greater financial penalties or opt for a broader settlement involving platform redesigns.
Jasmine Engberg of Scalable, which tracks the social media industry, argued that while $3 million may seem small to these tech giants, forcing them to overhaul their platforms would pose a significant threat to their business models. “If these companies are forced to redesign their products, that poses an existential threat to their business models.” She said.
In another twist, jurors also found that both companies had acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, which could lead to a separate punitive damages phase. Kaley, who began using YouTube at six and Instagram at nine, testified that her social media use “really affected my self-worth” and led her to abandon hobbies and struggle with forming friendships.
Meta and YouTube both plan to appeal the verdict, signalling that this case could set the tone for future legal battles in the tech industry regarding the mental health impact of social media design.
The outcome in Los Angeles follows another recent case in New Mexico, where Meta was found liable for endangering children on its platforms, with a jury awarding $375 million in damages.
